Marketing and Negative Splits

In running, negative splits mean that you run the last half faster than the first half.

Yes, another running analogy… what can I say, I think when I’m running.

So I’m planning my four mile run for this afternoon and after working all day, nine hours, the idea of running four miles seems… well, like a lot of work.

But I have a plan. First I head out, very optimistic, and I do one mile, turn around and head back. When I reach the driveway I’m in for two miles. I stop my watch, run into the house, grab the leashes and head out with the dogs. We go one mile, turn around and head back.

Four miles, done. Just like that.

Now we didn’t do any negative splits ’cause the dogs are a bit slower to run with. One is 11 years old, the other 11 months old, so it’s a lot of work to manage them. So much work, in fact, that the two miles whizzed by.

So what’s my point… and yes, I have one, I promise.

Whatever marketing task or administrative task or operational task or whatever task you have in front of you, think about tackling it with negative splits.

Split it in half. Do half now, half later. Half today, half tomorrow.

Sometimes dividing the work makes the work less daunting.

When I started out today, I thought, “it’s only two miles”.

When I grabbed the dogs and they started pulling me down the street, I thought, “it’s only two miles”.

Whatever the task, cut it in half, and most importantly, get to it!

Remember, “it’s only two miles.”